Dangerous Illusions and Unholy Alliances

Unholy Ties

The new Moldovan government led by Maia Sandu seems to be one of contradictions. It is in the rather rare position of being both pro-EU and pro-Russian at once by virtue of the parties which comprise it.

So far, things have been so good. But experts warn that the new government and its stability will soon find themselves under strain when faced with the conflicting goals of the two main blocks which comprise it. Can the goal of 'deoligarching' Moldova bind them? We analyse its prospects in more detail.

Read more: Moldova's 'Unholy Alliance' Awaits First Major Tests

Illusionists

Man with EU flag in Tirana, Albania, 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/MALTON DIBRA

During the previous week, European leaders definitively dashed the hopes of Albania and North Macedonia that they might finally get a date for opening EU accession negotiations this June. In the case of Macedonia at least, there is hope that it might secure the green light for opening accession negotiations in September or October.

In his comment for BIRN, Jasmin Mujanovic argues that the decision - or lack thereof - by EU leaders is not only a betrayal, particularly in the case of North Macedonia's reforming government, but also a dangerous illusion, one based on the false belief that enlargement can be replaced by containment as an EU policy tool.

Read more: EU Policy of 'Containing' Balkans is Dangerous Illusion (June 25, 2019)

Summer Heat

Ostrog Monastery in Montenegro. Photo: Flickr/Imke.sta

A controversial new draft law on religious freedom in Montenegro has set the scene for an even more heated summer, both when it comes to relations between the pro-Montenegrin and pro...